the luxury travel blog

My face says it all about how thrilled I was to finally be in Cuba & find Ramses' impossibly perfect car waiting for me, along with a Cuban cigar & Havana hat.

Ever since I saw the New Year's Eve scene in 'The Godfather Part II' I have been fascinated by Havana, meeting members of the Bacardi family, when I lived in Bermuda, & being given Cuban cigars by a member of the Qatari Royal Family, who I mentored while living in Doha, meant I had to see Cuba.

Living in the Caribbean for the last 18 months gave me this chance and the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinsk La Habana opening in 2017, with its infinity rooftop pool with views of the Art Deco Bacardi tower, "sealed the deal", another www.sifrew.com dream came true!!!!

The 19th Century shopping mall Manzana (Spanish for city block) de Gomez, formerly owned by a sugar baron, has been through a 5 year transformation. The statue of Fidel Castro has been removed from the grounds & the glamorous Kempinski 'Ladies in Red' have taken his place. This hotel faces Ernest Hemingway's 'daiquiri haunt' the 200 year old El Floridita and is right in the centre of Havana.

However, the Cuban regime's red tape, and related US restrictions, mean there were lows, as well as incredible highs on this trip. It was an unforgettable trip, I do not regret, but Cuban is not geared for trouble-free luxury tourism yet.

This brand ambassador wore a Stetson for the first time on this Texas trip. This photo was taken in my friend's Maserati on our way to the Cusack Ranch.

I had a memorable 4th of July celebrating it at the home of a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon in Bermuda and loved 4th of July dinners with American friends in Qatar. However, I knew celebrating 4th of July in Texas would be in another league and I was not disappointed.

Seeing my friend's new River Oaks home in Houston took my breath away, a party that was held in my honour there was sensational and the party on the Cusack Family Ranch blew my mind.

I never expected to see Zebra in Texas; did not even know Ankole-Watusi existed, with horns with the biggest circumference of any cattle; met a guy who knew the Bermuda based billionaire who I had lunch on his stunning 196ft three master schooner Fleurtje and watched spectacular fireworks by a lake, as children floated on inflatables.

Remarkable 7 'teddy' 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻 experience money cannot simply 'buy'. Love my friends in Texas so much. Hope the photos below do some justice to a long weekend I will never forget.

The Authors

Si Frew has lived in the UK, Bermuda, Qatar, Cyprus & the Cayman Islands. During this time he met Whoopi Goldberg (in Claridge's), Mike Tyson (in the Concorde Lounge at JFK) , Gordon Ramsay (in the Doha Four Seasons), Chris Eubanks (in The Dorchester), Cherie Blair (in Bermuda & again in the Doha Four Seasons) etc. There are funny stories attached to all these interactions, feel free to ask Si about them when you meet him.

Simon is a banking regulator who was trained by the Bank of England and is currently working as a Banking Consultant, living in the Far East.

He loves Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Dorchester and Veuve Clicquot.

IssyIssy is a Beanie Baby who was a gift from the Founder of Four Seasons' office. He is Simon's regular travelling companion & confidant. ​He experiences luxury in life and little else. It is Issy who guides Si through some of his more entertaining adventures.